Keith Watson

(1 February 1935 - 9 April 1994, UK)

Roel Dijkstra - De Sponsor (Eppo-Wordt Vervolgd #29, 1987)

Keith Watson is a British comic artist, best-known for his work on 'Dan Dare' and his adaptations of Gerry Anderson puppet series, and in Holland as the second artist of the 'Roel Dijkstra' comic. Born in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, Watson joined Frank Hampson's art studios in 1958. There he learned the finer points of the comic profession, working on the 'Dan Dare' series that appeared in Eagle. When the studios closed down, he partially took over this series. He left Eagle in 1960 and started the futuristic 'Captain Condor' series in Eagle's rival Lion. By 1962, he returned to Eagle and the 'Dan Dare' comic for a period of four years.

From 1967 Watson intensified his production with 'The Space Girls' for D.C Thomson's Princess Tina. He worked on many comic features based on TV series, most notably of the Gerry Anderson puppet shows 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' and 'Joe 90' for TV Century 21. Watson also drew 'Battle of the Planets' for TV Comic in 1981 and 'Crossbow' for the Hotspur.

In the early 1980s, Keith Watson started working for the Dutch market, taking over the adventures of soccer player 'Roel Dijkstra' from Andries Brandt and Jan Steeman in magazine Eppo. Watson made two books with writer Dave Hunt, and then six more with Jaap Bubenik. In 1989, he revived the original 'Dan Dare' for the new Eagle comic. Among his final comic book work was a comic based on Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds' in 1992. He has also made some notable advertising art for Mobil, Raleigh, Volvo and Vauxhall. Keith Watson passed away from cancer at the age of 59 in 1994.